Mission & Objectives

The link between antibiotic use and resistance is clear. Consequently, concerns about inappropriate antibiotic prescribing has never been greater. Reversal of resistance problems is often feasible by changing patterns of antibiotic use. Audits repeatedly show tremendous variations in standards for antibiotic prescription, but the common topic is one of unnecessary use. Unfortunately, there are no reliable comparative data on antibiotic prescribing and control measures, although the importance of collecting such data was emphasised in the recent Copenhagen Declaration. With these facts in mind, a group of like-minded researchers have formed the European Study Group for Antibiotic Policies. ESGAP has gained official recognition from the ESCMID Executive Committee and elected its first executive officers at the 9th ECCMID, 1999, Berlin, Germany.